Nephi is declaring that the people of the last days will understand the words of Isaiah. This is encouraging. It suggests that our understanding of Isaiah is correct. Still we worry because we cannot understand every reference that Isaiah makes. Let's look at an example. We may be worried by the fact that we don't understand all the terms used in the passage in 2 Nephi 13, where Isaiah speaks of the daughters of Zion and their changeable suits of apparel, mantles, wimples, and crisping-pins. Even if these accessories are foreign to us, we still understand the principle that Isaiah is teaching. We understand that the Lord is not pleased with the vanity of the daughters of Zion. We understand that this applies to our day as well as Isaiah's. And we understand that there will be an appropriate punishment for those who are vain and proud. The important principle is that the Lord is not pleased with pride and vanity not that we understand every reference to ancient Hebrew dress. We should not be worried if we cannot understand certain passages if we can get the big picture, the overriding spiritual truth, or the latter day reference. We must be encouraged by the statement of Nephi, for in that day shall they understand them. We should understand the words of Isaiah because he frequently spoke of our day and the events which are soon to take place.
LeGrand Richards
"We are all here today in fulfillment of the words of the prophets, and I love the prophecies of Isaiah because it seems to me that he lived almost more in our day than when he was actually upon the earth, because the Lord gave him to see so many of the things that would transpire in the latter days" (Conference Report, Oct. 1956, p. 23)